Lowering ticket price and extra baggage fees are the most common trick to attract passengers, particularly those heading to Asian destinations. Many airline companies focus more on offering lower baggage charge than low-priced tickets. Unlike passengers to Western destinations, travelers to Egypt, Sudan and Indian subcontinent have a passion for carrying large baggage.

Airline officials in the Gulf countries are compelled to provide exemptions in the baggage limit to passengers to these countries because most of the passengers arrive at the airport with a lot of extra kilograms.

Travelers, who fail to take the baggage along with them in the plane, send it by air, sea or land cargo, Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Sunday.

“The International Air Transport Association (IATA) does not allow international airline companies to lower the baggage charge by more than 10 percent of the ticket price,” said Khaleel Al-Nashmi, an official at the Kanoo Travels in Dammam. He said the policy on ticket and baggage pricing depends on the demand-and-supply principle.

While some airline companies hike ticket fares, others adopt a policy of lowering the ticket price and hiking baggage charges to the maximum allowed ceiling of the 10 percent.

He added that airline companies normally strive to carry a maximum number of passengers during the summer rush.

“But it does not mean that they will allow more baggage. On the other hand, passengers will be asked to pay extra baggage allowance for each kilogram exceeding the weight shown on the ticket,” he said.  The internationally followed passenger baggage allowance  is 20 kg in economy class, 30 kg for business class and 40 kg for first class.

While some companies allow more than that as part of a competition strategy in non-peak seasons, during the summer no company allows extra baggage as the focus is on carrying more passengers.